Senior Manager, Research Programs

The University of British Columbia; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

The Senior Manager, Research Programs at The University of British Columbia oversees a portfolio of strategic initiatives advancing the Faculty of Medicine's research priorities. Based at the Vancouver campus, this role collaborates with senior leadership and external partners to translate goals into actionable programs and governance structures.

The position requires a high degree of independence and effective change management across units.

Qualifications

• Post-graduate degree or equivalent professional designation with a minimum of four years of related experience, or an undergraduate degree with a minimum of six years of related experience.
• Strong governance, risk management, and budgeting capabilities.
• Experience in an academic or health research environment is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of multiple concurrent strategic initiatives.
• Develop governance, accountability and decision-making frameworks for complex research initiatives.
• Engage researchers and leaders to align research needs with strategic priorities and execute projects to deliver measurable outcomes.

Skills

Project management

Strategic thinking

Communication skills

Change management

Interpersonal skills

Time management

Leadership

Budget planning

Problem solving

Education

Post-graduate degree or equivalent

Undergraduate degree + 6 years experience

Tools

MS Office Suite

Job description

Staff - Non Union Job Category M&P - AAPS Job Profile AAPS Salaried - Research and Facilitation, LevelC Job Title Senior Manager, Research Programs Department Research Programs & Administration | Office of Research | Faculty of Medicine Compensation Range $8,087.08 - $12,117.08 CAD Monthly The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date September15,2026 Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59PM on the Posting End Date. Job End Date Ongoing At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

The Senior Manager is responsible for leading a portfolio of complex, high-impact concurrent strategic initiatives that advance the Faculty of Medicine's research enterprise. Assigned initiatives are broad in scope, may span multiple Faculty units and external partner organizations, and often involve significant organizational, policy, data, resource, governance and change-management considerations. These may include initiatives that build Faculty-wide research capacity, establish coordinated approaches across partner organizations, develop research infrastructure or governance frameworks, respond to emerging research priorities, or transform how research programs and resources are organized and delivered. This role works closely with senior leadership and a broad range of internal and external partners to understand and define research goals and objectives and translate them into actionable strategies. Operating with a high degree of independence and delegated authority within the strategic direction established by leadership in the Office of the Vice-Dean, Research, the incumbent determines the governance framework, implementation model, resource requirements and delivery approach for assigned initiatives.

The Senior Manager leads cross-functional teams throughout the full project lifecycle, including stakeholder engagement, strategic and operational analysis, change management, progress monitoring and evaluation, and provides recommendations to senior leadership regarding direction, feasibility, risk and organizational impact. The Senior Manager is accountable for achieving sustainable initiative outcomes and ensuring new strategies, frameworks, and approaches are successfully integrated across affected units and partner organizations. The position will be based at the UBC Vancouver Campus. The incumbent will be required to work flexible hours with occasional travel to other sites (e.g., Diamond Health Care Centre) to support operational activities within the Office of Vice Dean, Research.

Organizational Status

Our Vision: To Transform Health for Everyone. Ranked among the world's top medical schools with the fifth-largest MD enrollment in North America, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is a leader in both the science and the practice of medicine. Across British Columbia, more than 11,000 faculty and staff are training the next generation of doctors and health care professionals, making remarkable discoveries, and helping to create the pathways to better health for our communities at home and around the world. The Faculty - comprised of approximately 2,200 administrative support, technical/research and management and professional staff, as well approximately 650 full-time academic and 8,500 clinical faculty members - is composed of 19 academic basic science and/or clinical departments, three schools, and 23 research centres and institutes. Together with its University and Health Authority partners, the Faculty delivers innovative programs and conducts research in the areas of health and life sciences. Faculty, staff and trainees are located at university campuses, clinical academic campuses in hospital settings and other regionally based centres across the province.

This position directly reports to the Associate Director, Research Programs and Administration and is part of the larger Office of Vice Dean, Research team; all members of the team support each other.

Work Performed

Strategic Initiative Leadership and Delivery

Leads the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of multiple concurrent strategic initiatives that advance the Faculty of Medicine's research priorities, capacity, infrastructure, and partnerships. Assesses the Faculty's research environment to identify institutional barriers, system gaps, emerging opportunities, and evolving requirements affecting the broader research enterprise. Conducts environmental scans and analyzes institutional, government, sector, and partner priorities, policies, and developments to assess their implications for the Faculty's research activities. Works with senior leadership to interpret strategic direction and translate it into operationally viable programs, ensuring alignment with Faculty and institutional goals. Develops strategic options, business cases, and recommendations for senior leadership regarding the development and refinement of research opportunities, strategic approaches, partnerships, resources, risks and anticipated impact.

Project Risk and Change Management

Manages the full lifecycle of strategic projects of moderate to high scope and complexity, including defining deliverables, timelines, and resource requirements. Develops governance, accountability, and decision-making frameworks to support complex research initiatives involving multiple institutional and external stakeholders. Identifies risks, issues, and dependencies, and develops mitigation strategies to ensure successful outcomes. Assesses organizational impacts and leads the implementation of change management approaches to support adoption and integration across departments, units, and stakeholder groups. Works with subject-matter experts to incorporate applicable ethical, legal, privacy, data, regulatory, financial, and institutional requirements into research strategies and implementation approaches.

Partner Engagement and Cross-Functional Coordination

Develops and maintains strategic relationships with researchers, academic and administrative leaders, and internal and external partners to advance shared research priorities. Leads multidisciplinary and cross-organizational groups in defining research needs, identifying opportunities, developing coordinated approaches, and implementing initiatives that strengthen the research environment. Negotiates priorities, responsibilities, resource commitments and implementation requirements and resolves organizational barriers that could impede research objectives. Provides guidance and direction to project teams and contributors to ensure alignment, accountability, and timely delivery of work.

Research Governance, Evaluation and Accountability

Designs and establishes governance, decision-making, accountability, escalation, and reporting frameworks appropriate to the scope, risk, and organizational reach of assigned research initiatives. Establishes outcomes, performance measures and evaluation approaches to assess initiative effectiveness, sustainability, organizational impact, and alignment with Faculty research priorities. Evaluates results and provides recommendations to senior leadership regarding the continuation, expansion, modification, integration or conclusion of research initiatives.

Professional Conduct and Other Duties

Maintains professional and respectful interactions consistent with UBC's Statement on Respectful Environments. Performs other related duties as required to support the operations of the Office of the Vice-Dean, Research.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

This position will work independently and will need to exercise a high degree of judgment and initiative. This position is responsible for making professional project decisions and recommendations that impact the success of projects that are vital to achieving the Faculty's research objectives. Through its close interaction with partner organizations, this position has direct impact on the credibility and integrity of the Faculty of Medicine within the health authorities, government, business and academic communities and various other external partners.

As decisions made can create legal and financial liabilities, errors of judgment or procedure, or the inability to meet financial and operational commitments would have direct adverse impact on the operations and reputation of the Faculty of Medicine, University and partner organizations. Lack of tact, diplomacy or sensitivity in dealing with industry and government contacts could potentially result in missed opportunities, damaged relationships and loss of credibility for the Faculty. Failure to provide sound strategic advice and effective leadership on projects could jeopardize the Faculty's ability to advance its mission and would interfere in decision making and resource allocation.

Supervision Received

Works independently under broad direction from Leadership within the Office of the Vice-Dean, Research. Reports to the Associate Director, Research Programs and Administration. Works closely with senior academic and administrative leadership in project sponsorship roles, depending on the project. Performance is evaluated against set goals and expectations.

Supervision Given

Manages the work of project team members on a project basis.

Minimum Qualifications

For research work, a post-graduate degree or equivalent professional designation with a minimum of four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Otherwise, an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline is required with a minimum of six years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one's own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in project management, including planning, coordinating, and delivering multiple concurrent initiatives within defined timelines and resource constraints. Experience supporting or contributing to strategy development is considered an asset.
• Experience working in an academic or postsecondary environment, particularly in research-related contexts, is preferred.
• Experience within a health care, health education, or health research environment is an asset.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to prepare clear, concise materials for a range of audiences and to facilitate effective discussions.
• Proficiency with standard office software (e.g., MS Office Suite) is required.
• Proven ability to operate with a combination of analytical and intuitive thinking, applying sound judgment to assess complex situations, identify key issues, and develop practical, effective solutions.
• Excellent organizational, time management and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and deliver high-quality work within tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise initiative, and proactively identify next steps, options and solutions in a dynamic environment.
• Strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills, including the ability to anticipate challenges, assess risks, analyze information and develop and implement mitigation strategies.
• Experience with resource and budget planning, including estimating requirements and ensuring effective use of available resources.
• Ability to apply strategic and systems thinking, while maintaining strong attention to detail and an understanding of broader organizational context.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across diverse teams and stakeholders, and to exercise tact, diplomacy, and discretion.
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate groups and lead discussions, adapting communication style and approach to suit different audiences and contexts.
• High level of professionalism, integrity, and sound judgement, with a commitment to respectful, inclusive and ethical conduct consistent with UBC's values.

University Information

The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities globally. A large part of what makes us unique is the community of engaged students, faculty and staff who are collectively committed to shaping a better world. Recognized as a leading employer in British Columbia and Canada, UBC supports inspired students, faculty and staff on their journey of discovery, and challenges them to realize their greatest potential. New ideas, changing infrastructure, innovative technology and fresh approaches are opening up possibilities for the future of research, teaching and work. Are you ready to embrace the future together? Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit and/or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. If you have any accommodation or accessibility needs during the job application process, please contact the Centre for Workplace Accessibility at [e-mail].